Offshore oil platforms use electricity generators that are cooled with heat exchangers. The heat exchangers collect seawater at a certain depth with steel piping and the water withdrawn at such depth is at a certain temperature level. The energy generation system is configured to shut down if its internal temperature exceeds a defined safety temperature level. It is desirable to avoid excessive temperatures in order to avoid the inconvenience and lost productivity of energy system down time.
There are basically two solutions to avoiding an automatic shut down situation. The first is to decrease the energy system temperature. The second is to invest at substantial cost in upgrading or replacing the heat exchangers for larger ones. For cost considerations, the first option is preferable. In order to reduce the energy system temperature, therefore, it is desirable to collect seawater at deeper depths where the seawater taken is at a lower temperature for cooling the energy generation system.
One solution to taking seawater at deeper depths is to extend the steel piping down to the desired depth. Such a solution, however, carries shortcomings. The extended steel piping may become too heavy for the platform structure. In addition, steel piping is relatively inflexible and a longer length of piping may fail when subjected to lateral forces imparted thereon by water pressure and current. A longer steel piping structure may also interfere with the underwater structure of some oil platforms.
Accordingly, there is a need for means and systems for extracting seawater at a greater depth. Such a solution should be capable of withstanding the forces at such depth and also not interfere with underwater platform structure. The ideal solution should also be economical to manufacture and utilize, easy to maintain, and be compatible with the existing platform structures currently in use.